Systems and methods for an intelligent toolbar that provides contextual bidding opportunities

Abstract

Online bidding opportunities on goods and/or services are targeted to an individual user based, in part, on the user's navigation history. User navigation (e.g., Web browsing, search requests, etc.) may be tracked, recorded and maintained. User navigation information may be used to determine content-relevant and personalized bidding opportunities for goods and/or services from one or more merchants or auctioneers. By doing so, the bidding opportunities presented are more relevant to the user, reduce the research time and effort expended by such user in exploring multiple websites to purchase such goods and/or services and provide merchants and auctioneers with “hot” leads.

1 . A method of presenting online bidding opportunity information, comprising: receiving from a user an initial indication that the user generally agrees to receive online bidding opportunity information; locally determining contextual online bidding opportunity information; and providing the contextual online bidding opportunity information to the user at least in part in response to the initial and subsequent indications from the user. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: receiving one or more bids by the user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: receiving one or more bids by the user; and canceling all remaining bids after the first acceptance of a bid. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the contextual online bidding opportunity information is determined local to a user device operated by the user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initial indication includes an acceptance by the user of an end-user license agreement. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the contextual online bidding opportunity information is determined local to a user device operated by the user. 
     
     
         7 . A method of presenting online bidding opportunity information, comprising: receiving from a user an initial indication that the user generally agrees to receive online bidding opportunity information; locally determining contextual online bidding opportunity information; providing information to the user to indicate that the contextual online bidding opportunity information is available; receiving from the user a subsequent indication that the user specifically agrees to receive the online bidding opportunity information; and providing the contextual online bidding opportunity information to the user at least in part in response to the initial and subsequent indications from the user. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising: receiving one or more bids by the user. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising: receiving one or more bids by the user; and canceling all remaining bids after the first acceptance of a bid. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the contextual online bidding opportunity information is determined local to a user device operated by the user. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the initial indication includes an acceptance by the user of an end-user license agreement. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the contextual online bidding opportunity information is determined local to a user device operated by the user. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus, comprising: a processor; and a storage device in communication with said processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to: receive from a user an initial indication that the user generally agrees to receive online bidding opportunity information; locally determine contextual online bidding opportunity information; provide information to the user to indicate that the contextual online bidding opportunity information is available; receive from the user a subsequent indication that the user specifically agrees to receive the contextual online bidding opportunity information; and provide the contextual online bidding opportunity information to the user at least in part in response to the initial and subsequent indications from the user.